1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Distress.

2. (a.) Causing distress; painful; unpleasant.

3. (adv.) In a distressing manner.

acute affecting afflictive agonizing annoying atrocious baleful baneful biting bitter bleak bothersome calamitous chafing cheerless comfortless corroding corrosive corrupting corruptive counterproductive cramping cruel damaging deadly deleterious deplorable depressing depressive detrimental dire disadvantageous discomforting dismal dismaying disquieting disserviceable distressful disturbing dolorific dolorogenic dolorous dreary excruciating fretting gnawing grave grievous griping harassing hard harmful harrowing harsh heartbreaking hurtful hurting injurious joyless lamentable lethal malefic malevolent malign malignant mischievous mournful moving noisome noxious ominous painful paroxysmal pathetic pernicious piercing piteous pitiable plaguing poignant poisonous prejudicial pungent racking regrettable rueful sad saddening scatheful severe sharp shooting sore sorrowful spasmatic spasmic spasmodic stabbing stinging tormenting torturous touching toxic troublesome uncomfortable unfortunate upsetting venenate veneniferous venenous venomous vicious virulent woebegone woeful worrisome worrying wretched